Afro-Paradise: Blackness, Violence, and Performance in Brazil

I really enjoyed Smith’s Afro-Paradise; intertwining history and current events, Smith captures the tension and war-like atmosphere in which Black Brazilians live. I read Smith’s book as balancing between afro-pessimism and afro-optimism – by confronting the “death” that is Black life in Brazil, Black Brazilians create and pursue life. The most interesting section of Smith’s book, to me, was the chapter on citizenship.

I have seen Christen present her incisive research at conferences and read earlier drafts of this work, in various forms. Yet, I was still stunned by the elegance and power of this book. It's rare to find ethnographic work that is engaging, theoretically sophisticated, and yet accessible, but Christen makes this herculean feat look easy.

Dr. Smith has written a phenomenal ethnography.

I have had the pleasure of attending presentations and talks by Dr. Smith and each time I am more impressed than the last. What I enjoy most about her work is the quality of her ethnographic fieldwork. She has a gift of transporting the reader to locations they have never been to. I feel as though I have met some of the people who she writes about. As a student who wants to engage in this type of methodology, I am grateful for what Christen Smith gives to us.

Smith's approach to discussing Afro-paradise and the issue of state violence against black bodies is phenomenal. The ethnographic approach to studying this topic is so rich and refreshing to read. The use of practical examples to support makes the work richer and more thorough. In addition to being a breath of fresh air, this piece boldly addresses so many questions related to racial, gendered violence against black people in Brazil. The concepts are also relevant even beyond Brazil. Great work!

Smith sheds like on how black residents of Salvador are not privileged to enjoy the festivities and the truth behind racial democracy behind Bahia Carnival. Smith demonstrates the importance of performance studies for sociocultural anthropology. A MUST READ!!!

Highly recommend this book. Smith ethnography is a significant contribution to race cultural studies. It's a must-read!

Afro-paradise shows us how the spectacle and consumption of the bodies of black people and black culture are not at odds with the state’s killing of black bodies in Brazil. This analysis should be turned over again and again in a transnational context, thinking about how, on the ground across the globe, the fight against racist police brutality has particular contours. In the author's words, “Afro-paradise is a choreographed, theatrical performance between the state’s celebration of black culture and the state’s routine killing of the black body” ( Smith 3). In a delicate and clear-eyed ethnography, Afro-paradise teaches readers about mobilizing against racialized police brutality, and the ways in which activists and leaders affirm their Black lives in the face of anti-Black violence.